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Legendary technical illustrator Giorgio Piola drew all of the key cars of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda, who has passed away aged 70. Here are his best illustrations of some fantastic machinery, as driven by the legend himself     March 721 March 721 1972 detailed overview Photo by: Giorgio Piola   Development of the first car Niki Lauda drove in Formula 1, the March 721 retained the lozenge-shaped front end and the madcap "tea-tray" wing, but didn't live up to the success of the preceding 711 chassis. After two races, the 'X' specification of car was rolled out with a transverse gearbox, but the package proved unsuccessful - instead, the 721G was ushered out of the factory...

We cast our eye over the technical developments made by the teams up and down the pitlane in Bahrain, while also marveling at some of the innovations that are otherwise unseen during a race weekend. The amazing illustrations of Giorgio Piola also takes our understanding to a new level, click through the images below… McLaren MCL34 bargeboard Photo by: Giorgio Piola   McLaren introduced a new bargeboard arrangement in Bahrain and seemingly unlocked some of the untapped potential of the MCL34. The new design’s forward footplate shape was revised quite significantly (red arrow and dotted line), while a series of variously sized vertical fins (white arrow) that we’ve seen others use for some time now were added. These make up...

In our last deep dive into Giorgio Piola’s treasure trove, we cast our eye over Ferrari’s 312. But it was 1974 rivals McLaren and Emerson Fittipaldi that prevailed, running out the eventual winners in a less complex but far more compliant car. Next year will be Giorgio’s 50th year in the sport – having covered over 800 GPs, he’s one of the longest-serving journalists to ever grace the F1 paddock. This gives him a unique insight into the ever-changing landscape of the sport and perhaps, more importantly, an uninterrupted vision of the physical transformation the cars have undergone. The McLaren M23’s lifespan, much like many cars of the era, actually stretched across four years and continued to serve customer teams for another...